The Know Daily - Tuesday 19 March 2024

_{Read in 5m 19s ∙ Listening to Her’s ∙}

A UK-based campaign ‘I am not a typo’ is calling on tech giants such as Microsoft to update their name dictionaries and fix auto-correct so that “all first names are treated equally by our technology”. The group found that 41% of baby names in England and Wales in 2021 were flagged by Microsoft as “typos”, prompting them to launch a billboard campaign 👇 in response.

🚁 Call a cab

The first flying taxi could take to UK skies as early as 2026, under new government plans announced on Monday.

Hold up - flying taxis?!
That’s right. The proposals are part of the Department for Transport’s Future of Flight action plan, which was developed in partnership with the aerospace industry.

According to BBC News, while there are a number of different models, most flying taxis “look like a futuristic helicopter” and carry about five people. And while the first flying taxis to take to the skies would be piloted, driverless models could become a reality by 2030, according to the plan. 

Just how achievable is that target?
It remains to be seen. Flying taxis are already undergoing the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) authorisation process, noted The Independent. But as BBC News pointed out, hurdles such as “infrastructure and public acceptance” need to be overcome before flying taxis are a regular feature in UK skies.

Craig Roberts, head of drones at consultancy firm PwC, told the BBC that the 2026 target was “challenging, but possible”. He said that flying taxis would likely start off as a replacement for helicopters, before going more mainstream. 

Anything else I should know?
While flying taxis are by far the most eye-catching measure in the plan, it is full of other proposals aimed at expanding drone technology in the UK.

The Department for Transport also outlined plans to allow drones to fly beyond visual line of sight - meaning the person controlling the drone cannot see it in the air - and predicts the regular use of unmanned drones by 2027 to transport medical supplies, deliver post in rural areas and track criminals on the run.  

Last year, New York City mayor Eric Adams unveiled a similar plan to use electric air taxis by 2026 to fly people to and from the city’s airports on “quiet, emissions-free journeys”.

🥬 Turning waste into taste

Upcycled food - edible products made from ingredients that would otherwise have gone to waste - is emerging as a top food trend for 2024.

Can you explain the concept a little more?
Sure! As the Upcycled Food Association (UFA) explains, it's based on the philosophy of “using all of what you have” - but it isn’t quite the same as simply eating up everything in your fridge to make sure nothing gets thrown away.

Instead, companies who upcycle food take things a step further by making sure that every single bit of edible waste is turned into a new product, which can be sold to consumers.

For example, the startup Renewal Mill 👇 works with plant-based milk producers to repurpose leftover milk pulp into gluten-free flour, explained The Guardian.

And the trend is catching on?
Definitely. As Modern Farmer notes, upcycling has been named a top food trend for 2024 by a number of organisations - and it’s linked to a broader move towards more mindful consumption. In the US, nearly 40% of food grown annually goes unsold or uneaten, which is the same as 145 billion meals, The Guardian noted.

Anna Hammond, CEO of upcycling start-up Matriark Foods, told Modern Farmer that there’s a “growing awareness” that the current food system is unsustainable - with the upcycled food market expected to grow to $97 billion by 2031.

What’s the bigger picture?
Experts have pointed out that upcycling will not solve the problem of food waste alone. Instead, they point to the need for new policy initiatives around food and the environment, alongside better education and collective action.

And Caroline Cotto, co-founder at Renewal Mill, told The Guardian that there are ways we can upcycle food at home. She suggests using the rinds of cheese to make “flavourful soup bases” and saving leftover pulp from juicing to make muffins.

⚽ On the ball: A “landmark” bill introduced before parliament today will confirm the creation of an independent football regulator in the UK.

💨 Air pollution: Only seven countries are meeting an international air quality standard, a new report has found - although the world’s air is generally much cleaner than it once was.

📝 Rwanda bill latest: The PM’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda “took a step forward” yesterday after MPs voted to throw out a series of amendments made to the bill by the House of Lords.  

🛫 Taking off: EasyJet has opened its first new UK base in over a decade at Birmingham Airport, saying the move could help bring down fares for passengers.

🐧 A cool job: Applications are open to work at Antarctica’s “penguin post office” over the winter season - and the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust is looking for UK residents to take up the post. Interested?

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Trivia answer: C) An Australian-grown blueberry that’s almost the size of a “golf ball” has broken the record, weighing in at 20.4 grams (that’s a whopping six times heavier than a regular blueberry).

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